PIANO

Dr. Nataliya Sukhina
D.M.A. "Piano Performance" (University of North Texas)
M.M. "Piano Performance" (Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music)
B.M. "Piano Performance" (Prokofiev State College of Music).

Nataliya Sukhina gave her first piano Recital at the age of six, taking piano and composition lessons in Children School of Music in Ukraine. She continued her music education in the class of Vladimir Yudilevich in the Prokofiev State College of Music, where she earned Bachelor of music with major in piano performance and related fields in education, collaborative piano, and chamber music. Nataliya won several international piano competitions in Ukraine, Russia, and France. She also was honored by the “New Names” program supporting young musicians.

Nataliya received her Master of music from the Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music in Kiev (Ukraine), studying under Pr. Igor Ryabov. During these years she continued perform solo and with leading Ukrainian symphony orchestras, as well as in the chamber concerts. Nataliya won 3rd prize and the Diploma for best performance of contemporary music at the International Competition for Young Pianists in memory of Vladimir Horowitz (Kiev, Ukraine). Other performing activities included “Kiev Music Fest” (Ukraine), David Dubal`s performance classes in Julliard School of Music (New York, USA), the Art-project of Mykola Suk “Kiev Summer Music Festival” (Ukraine).

Nataliya received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of North Texas in the class of amazing artist and musician, world-known pianist Pr. Vladimir Viardo, whose teaching continues famous Russian piano school.

Nataliya continues her solo career; one of recent performances was Winner’s Debut Program of Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, held in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (New York, NY). She is also widely known as collaborative pianist playing with students and faculty extensive and diverse repertoire.

Nataliya has been serving as Teaching Assistant in both the Prokofiev State College of Music and the Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music (Ukraine); she also has been an Applied Piano lessons instructor (Teaching Fellow) for 3 years in University of North Texas

Jisun Choi
M.M. “Jazz Studies” (Piano Performance) University of North Texas
B.M. “Professional Music” Berklee College of music

An accomplished pianist and educator, Jisun Choi, came to the states after winning a scholarship from the world scholarship tour at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
While at Berklee College of Music, she performed numerous concerts leading her own band in the Boston area. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Professional Music from Berklee College of music in 2005, Jisun came to the University of North Texas to pursue her Master’s degree in the world renowned Jazz Studies program. While attending UNT, receiving a performance scholarship, she worked as a Teaching Fellow teaching Jazz Keyboard Fundamentals I and Jazz Piano Performance Fundamentals I. Also, Jisun was a teaching assistant for Professor Stefan Karlson helping with Jazz Forum class.
In 2007, Jisun recorded an album entitled ‘Look Between us’ as a member of the band ‘Forjak’ (www.myspace.com/forjak) and had a tour in Japan and Korea in the summer of 2007. In the winter of 2007, Jisun took her own jazz trio to Korea and held a series of successful concerts.

Upon receiving her Master’s degree from the UNT Jazz Studies program in May 2008, she began taking students through Lone Star Music Academy. Currently, she can be seen in the DFW area as a freelancing pianist, actively involved in many musical projects and teaching engagements.

Sara Doan
M.M. Piano Performance, University of North Texas
B.M. Piano Performance, University of North Texas

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Sara Doan began studying piano at the age of three with Donna Edwards. Under her tutelage, Miss Doan won top prizes in several state and regional competitions. She earned a Bachelors degree, cum laude, and a Masters degree, magna cum laude, in Piano Performance at the University of North Texas, where she studied with Joseph Banowetz. There, she was voted by faculty Most Outstanding Undergraduate Student in 2005.

Miss Doan has performed with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra in Dallas, and presented recitals across Texas, Oklahoma, Washington, D. C., Virginia, and Pennsylvania. In addition to her solo performances, she has toured as solo pianist with the Seraphim Choir across the US and Ireland. She has played in masterclasses with Giovanni Umberto Battel, Madeleine Forte, Radoslav Kvapil, Miyoko Lotto, and Harold Martina.

Miss Doan has served as Collaborative Pianist-in-Residence at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 2005, and is currently Adjunct Professor of Piano at the University of North Texas, teaching piano classes to undergraduates. Miss Doan specializes in music for the left hand, both in performance, and original compositions and transcriptions.

In 2009, Sara won 1st prize in the "National Young Artist Competition" in Midland, TX.

Aaron Albin
Candidate for D.M.A. "Orchestral Conducting " (University of North Texas)
M.M. "Orchestral Conducting " (University of North Texas)
B.M. "Music Education" (Major: Piano Performance), Simpson College (Iowa)

Aaron Albin, a multi-talented musician with a variety of musical experiences, started playing piano at the age of 10. Before moving to Texas, Aaron was the Director of Choral Activities at Herbert Hoover High School located in Des Moines, Iowa. While in Iowa he taught piano for the Des Moines Symphony Academy and the Iowa Youth Chorus, conducted the High School and Junior High Choirs at Westminster Presbyterian Church, and worked multiple summers with Des Moines Metro Opera. Aaron received a Bachelor of Music in Education (majoring in Piano Performance) from Simpson College, Iowa.

Soon after, Aaron came to Denton, TX to pursue a Master’s of Music degree at UNT studying Orchestral Conducting under the direction of Maestro Anshel Brusilow, with a related field in opera. While at UNT, he was a Teaching Assistant accompanying and assisting for two university choirs, as well as conducting the UNT Repertoire Orchestra. Recent performances include selections from Mozart, Die Zauberflöte, the overture from Don Giovanni and Prokofiev’s Lt. Kije Suite. Aaron Recieved his Master's of Music from UNT in May 2008 and is currently working towards a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at the same institution.

Aaron has been working as a pianist for Denton Musical Theatre and performed for their recent productions “Man of La Mancha” and “Fairly Modern Millie”. His easygoing manner helps his students to develop continually at their own pace.

Christina Kim
M.M. Collaborative Piano (University of North Texas)
M.M. Composition (University of North Texas)
B.M. Piano Performance, Yon Sei University. Seoul, Korea

Christina Kim started her musical training on piano at age of 5 in Seoul, Korea. After she trained at Sun-Hwa Art middle school and high school, she recieved her bachelor’s degree in piano performance from YonSei University in Seoul, Korea.

She came to U.S. in 1991 and pursued her master’s degree in composition specializing in computer music with Professor Philip Winsor at the University of North Texas. She earned her second master’s degree from University of North Texas in 2007 as the first student of collaborative piano studying with Dr. Steven Harlos and Dr. Elvia Puccinelli.

She has performed at a summer music festival in DaeGu, Korea with Professor Eugene Osadchy and Dr. Susan Dubois from the University of North Texas. She has also performed for the Lewisville Lake International Chamber Series, as well as for the Basically Beethoven Festival.

She has played as a rehearsal pianist in several productions at UNT’s Opera Theater, including Sour Angelica, the Concert for Hope, and La Traviata. She worked as a coach and a répétiteur for a Opera in the Ozarks in 2008. She has been an active collaborative pianist playing for several studios at UNT and young students in DFW area.

Ben Allred
M.M. “Piano Performance” The University of Texas at Austin
B.M. “Piano Performance” The University of Texas at Austin
(Candidate for DMA, "Piano Performance" University of North Texas)

Reuben Allred was born in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he began the study of piano at age 11. He began teaching private piano lessons at the age of 18 under the supervision of Keith Snell, and has since been teaching students from beginner through advanced. Studying with Gregory Allen, he received both a Bachelors and Masters degree in performance from the University of Texas at Austin where he held scholarship and a Teaching Fellowship. In this capacity, Reuben studied group piano pedagogy under Martha Hilley, and private piano pedagogy with Sophia Gilmson. During this time Reuben was invited to participate in numerous master classes with teachers such as Leon Fleischer, John Perry, Paul Badura-Skoda, and Nelita True. Reuben also teaches at the Vicki Gray School of Music in Dallas as a private piano instructor. From 2004-2007, he was the principal pianist for the UT Austin New Music Ensemble directed by Dr. Dan Welcher, where Reuben worked closely with contemporary composers such as George Crumb, James MacMillan, Melinda Wagner, and Christopher Theofanidis to premeire or perform new chamber works. Currently a new doctoral student on scholarship at the University of North Texas, Reuben was a winner in the 2008 UNT concerto competition which included a performance with the UNT symphony orchestra. He held a Teaching Fellowship for the NOVA Ensemble, which included responsibilities of playing, organizing, and coaching new chamber works. An active performer, Mr. Allred has played with the American Repertory Ensemble, The UNT Center for Chamber Studies Piano Trio, The Dallas Festival of Modern Music, and recently premiered his own transcription of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring for the Lewisville Symphony International Chamber Series.

GUITAR

Phill Aelony
B.M "Jazz Guitar" (UNT)

Phill is a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He began playing music at an early age, learning to play both the piano and the alto saxophone. He began playing guitar at the age of 14, and was playing professionally in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area by the age of 17.

In 2002, Phill was awarded a Jazz Guitar Performance Scholarship to the University of North Texas. While at UNT he travelled, performed and recorded with the Jazz Singers I, the Three O’ Clock Lab Band, The Zebras ( a jazz fusion group), and the Jazz Repertory Ensemble.

He studied jazz guitar and composition under the direction of Fred Hamilton, and classical guitar with Tom Johnson.

Phill graduated from the University of North Texas, with honors, obtaining a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Guitar. Phill opened up his teaching studio at Lone Star Music Academy in 2007 teaching guitar, banjo, and mandolin. Currently, he is active as a freelance musician performing and teaching at various venues throughout the DFW area.

Tim Goynes
M.M. "Jazz Guitar" (University of North Texas)
B.M. "Jazz Guitar" (UNT)

Originally from Hope, Arkansas, Tim Goynes first picked up the guitar at age 12 and began learning from renowned jazz guitarist Clarence "Tonk" Edwards, whose credentials include work and performances with guitarist Jim Hall and vocalist Sarah Vaughan. After a year at Ouachita Baptist University, Tim moved to Denton, Texas in 2003 to complete his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas, under the direction of Fred Hamilton. While at UNT, Tim performed in many of the school's top ensembles, including the L-5 Guitar Ensemble and the Three O’ clock lab band. For both the '06-'07 and the '07-'08 school years he held the guitar chair of the world-famous One O'Clock Lab Band under the direction of Neil Slater. He also received a Down Beat Award for Best College Jazz Combo for his work in saxophonist Brian Donohoe's quintet, and was a graduate teaching fellow at UNT from 2006 to 2008, teaching guitar students and directing the L-5 Guitar Ensemble and the Eight O'Clock Lab Band. He has played at the IAJE Convention, and has played several international jazz festivals, including Montreux and the North Sea Jazz Festival, with the One O'Clock Lab Band.

Tim can be seen performing in several styles--ranging from rock and pop to acoustic jazz--all across the Dallas/Fort Worth area, working with several local artists, including Christian singer/songwriter Curtis Stephan, flamenco guitarist Sharam Sabzalipour, jazz guitarists Richard McLure and Terry Hankins, vocalist Hildegunn Gjedrem, and many others in addition to his own projects. He has been featured on several recordings, including Lab '07 and the soon-to-be-released Lab '08 with the One O'Clock Lab Band, in addition to the upcoming 2-CD release One O'Clock Live at Blues Alley. Other recordings include A Collection of Signs by the L-5 Guitar Ensemble, and Step Into the Shade by pop-rock artist J.R. Byrd

Tim is selected to be an acting chair directing UNT jazz guitar department while professor Fred Hamilton is on a sabbatical in 2009 spring. Tim opened a studio at Lone Star Music Academy in summer 2008 after a European tour with the One O’Clock Lab Band.

Kelyn Crapp
B.M. "Jazz Guitar" (UNT)

Kelyn began playing the guitar at age 13 after being deeply inspired by the music of Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath. While in high school, he formed his first band, Fatty Lumpkin, and started playing professionally soon thereafter, performing all over the DFW Area and opening for many national acts including Gregg Ginn of Black Flag, EOTO (members of String Cheese Incident), Mike Dillon, and Tony Furtado. He has performed all over the United States with Fatty Lumpkin, but has also toured with Verve recording artist and blues legend Lucky Peterson, from whom he learned a great deal. Since then, his devoted commitment to music and the guitar has recently earned him a Bachelor of Music with honors from the University of North Texas in Jazz Guitar Performance, acquired under the tutelage of Fred Hamilton.

Mark Cuthbertson
M.A. “Theology” (Univ. of Dallas)
B.M. “Jazz Guitar” (UNT)

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Mark Cuthbertson began playing guitar at the age of 12. While in high school, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music during their annual Summer Guitar Program. He later enrolled at the University of Mississippi and performed in that school’s highest jazz band (which is also documented to be the first college jazz band ever assembled). Soon he transferred to the Jazz Program at the University of North Texas where he studied with Fred Hamilton before receiving his degree in 2000.

For years, Mark has worked as a sideman, composer, arranger and teacher, and his playing and arrangements can be heard in various contexts, both live and on record. His interests have always lay with sideman work, rather than in pursuing his own projects. He has dabbled in the latter, having co-founded the heralded modern rock group Transient Theory, prior to leaving the band to focus on his work as a sideman. Mark is also an accomplished philosopher. His article, “Time, the ‘Open Acquittal’, and Divine Omniscience: Two Internal Problems with Open Theism,” appeared in the renowned Westminster Theological Journal in 2005.

GUITAR & BASS

Brady Mosher

From the time he was in the second grade and all through the 60's his father owned a sprawling East Texas night club called the Reo Palm Isle, where Brady got the chance to meet and hear the music of many of the great artists of Country music and R&B of that era ...Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bob Wills, and James Brown among them. Music has been his abiding passion ever since.

Brady has been very serious about the guitar since the sixth grade, and is a versatile musician in the studio or on the stage. He has performed in concert halls, theaters, clubs, alleys, and street corners with artists too numerous to mention.

Brady has recorded thousands of sessions, ranging from blues, country, and gospel to jazz, jingles, radio and television ID's, both national and international. He also performed the music in the Dallas Theater Center's production of "The Collected Works of Billy the Kid" by Michael Ondaatje (author of "The English Patient")

Brady is also a songwriter and composer of instrumental music. Recent recording projects include work for LeAnn Rimes, Joseph Vincelli's latest album, "Touch", and a second album co-produced with Bob Gentry of the acoustic New World Music group "feen boyett". Brady also played guitar on and co-produced the album "Temporary Contentment" for Texas singer-songwriter Annagrey.

Brady is keeping busy performing and recording with his Rastabilly/Roots Rock project MOJINE BOY / WILD OKRA, Annagrey, Dennis Cavalier and the Zydeco Crackers, several other independent projects, and resuming his solo performing schedule...

Brady opened up his teaching studio at Lone Star Music Academy in spring 2008. His enthusiasm toward teaching and his students is apparent. His teaching philosophy is all about making music fun, while paying attention to fundamentals, and helping the student to be confident and relaxed while learning. He is very creative in devising different curriculum according to each student’s musical needs, devoted to keep them improving. He updates his website frequently with educational tools so that his students continue to benefit from him even while practicing at home.

http://www.mojine.com

DRUMS

Dennis Durick
B.M. "Jazz Studies" (University of North Texas)

Dennis is from the Washington D.C. area, and started playing the drums at the age of seven. A relentless passion for music eventually brought him to UNT for music study. Upon graduating with a BM in Jazz Studies, Dennis recorded an album with David Liebman and toured with Heads Up.

During and after this period Dennis played and wrote for the Fusion band Friends of Fish (later to be named Popular Science). Then went on to record and tour with Joe McBride for the next several years.
Upon meeting bassist Lyles West, Dennis found a new partner that produced several bands to follow: Quartet Out, Lyles West Quartet, Jason Bucklin trio and his own band Brouhaha. They also
played and recorded together in the unique gypsy jazz group Café Noir. Dennis can also be heard on records from Quartet Out, Flipside, Dave Zoller, Tony Hakim, Pete Brewer, Pete Gallio, John Adams, Kellye Gray, The Champion Sisters, and the eclectic Uruguayan/Brazilian fusion band Circo.

He continues to work in the area with many of the aforementioned people as well as Jimi Tunnell (of Steps Ahead, Zawinul Syndicate), Wayne Delano, Drew Phelps, Bill Lohr, and the instrumental rock band, Shibboleth, as well as performing and writing for the jazz trio Flipside.

Pete Wehner
M.M. (Jazz Studies) University of North Texas
B.M. University of So. Mississippi

Pete Wehner has been involved with music since the age of five, starting with piano lessons and began playing drums at age 10. He played his first professional engagement at age fifteen as the percussionist in an orchestra for a production of the musical, “Kiss Me Kate.” Since that first gig he has maintained an active schedule performing with many types of musical groups ranging from Dixieland jazz to symphony orchestras, jazz piano trios to avant-garde improvised musical groups, country bands to swinging big bands. He has performed with many well known performers including Benny Goodman, Dave Brubeck, Charlie Byrd, Joe Williams, Bill Watrous, Peter Noone (of Herman’s Hermits), Bob Hope and many others.

Pete received a bachelor of music degree from the University of Southern Mississippi with an emphasis in jazz performance where he played with Jazz Lab Band I, USM Pop Percussion Ensemble, Magnolia Steel steel drum band, Classical Percussion Ensemble, USM Symphony Orchestra and the Concert Band. He studied percussion with Dr. Sherman Hong and Dr. John Wooton, author of The Drummer’s Rudimental Reference Book.

Pete earned a master’s degree in jazz arranging and composition at the University of North Texas where he played in the famed Lab Band program, holding the drum chair in the award winning 2 O’clock Lab Band, 2004 and 2005. He studied drum set with renowned drummer and teacher Ed Soph. More than just a drummer, Pete is a complete musician, writing music that has been performed by jazz bands in the U.S., Europe and South America. While living in North Carolina he was a staff writer for a community big band, the Unifour Jazz Ensemble, which won 1st place in their category at the first annual Musicfest USA sponsored by DownBeat magazine. His goals as a teacher are to help students develop good technique and to approach playing their instrument in the most musical manner, preparing them for performance in whatever genre they choose.

Steve Pruitt
B.M. Jazz Studies (Univ. of North Texas)

Steve grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and started playing drums at the age of 8. He started to gig with local blues and rock bands at the age of 12. This was about the time that he started to take lessons and study Jazz. Throughout High School, Steve received many awards including: the “Outstanding Musician” award at the Wichita Jazz Festival as well as being in the Oklahoma All State Jazz Band. In 2000, Steve entered the Guitar Center Drum Off and ended up going to Nationals in Los Angeles and placing among the top 6 of the 7,000 contestants across the US.

Steve received the “Shelley Manne” scholarship to attend the University of North Texas in 2002. There he studied with Ed Soph, Christopher Deane, and Ed Smith. He was also a member of most of the many prestigious ensembles including the 2 O’clock lab band, UNT Jazz Singers I, and the UNT Repertory Ensemble.

From 2006-2008, Steve recorded and toured with the Funk/Jazz/Soul/World music band called “Snarky Puppy.” Snarky Puppy was voted “Best Jazz Band” in the Dallas Observer Awards in 2008 and he can be heard on their records “The World is Getting Smaller” and “Bring us the Bright.” Steve has also performed and/or recorded with: Cornell Dupree, Bobby Sparks, Eddie Gomez, Adam Rogers, Lynn Seaton, Makoto Ozone, Akie Takada, Bernard Wright, Dave Stryker, Stefan Karlsson, Phil Woods, Neil Slater, Keith Carlock (drum-set duo) and many others…

Steve proudly endorses Sonor Drums, Pro-Mark Sticks, and Tangereen Percussion.

WOODWIND

Tom Braxton
B.M. (Texas Tech University) - Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet.

Tom has shared the stage with several well-known artists including
Luther Vandross, Phillip Bailey, Kirk Whalum, and Bernard Wright. He has also toured extensively
and recorded with Rendezvous artist and former NBA power forward, Wayman Tisdale. Tom has
opened concerts for numerous jazz greats including Joe Sample, Najee, Stanley Clark, Dave Brubeck,
Cab Calloway, The Rippingtons, the Yellowjackets, Bela Fleck, The Crusaders, Spyro Gyra,
Norman Brown, Ramsey Lewis, Pieces of a Dream, Boney James, Jonathan Butler, and Michael
Franks.
He has been a consistent performer at the Texas Jazz Festival in Corpus Christi and the highly
acclaimed Greenwood Jazz Festival in Tulsa. He was also featured at the Mozart Festival in San Luis
Obispo, California and the Spring Jazz Explosion in Philadelphia. Tom has been featured in several
publications including the international Italian Music Magazine, New Sounds, and JAZZIZ. He has
also appeared on CBS’s The Saturday Early Show, B.E.T.’s Jazz Central, TBS, TNT, ESPN, CNN,
NBC’s Inside Stuff, Positively Texas, and the Fox Network’s Good Day Dallas.
Tom has released five CDs: Your Move, Katallasso, Face to Face, Comfort and Joy, and most
recently, Bounce. Three were recorded on his Braxtonian Music label. The fourth, Katallasso, was
released nationally on Positive Music Records. Combined, the four discs feature the talents of Kirk
Whalum, Paul Jackson Jr., Dean Brown, Arthur Dyer, Bernard Wright, Bill Maxwell, Bill Cantos, and
others. His fifth release, Bounce, was produced by Wayman Tisdale and released nationally by Dave
Koz’s label, Rendezvous Entertainment. This disc is a great collection of songs with a strong smooth
jazz radio appeal and crossover potential.

Not only a great performer, Tom has many years of teaching experience teaching at various locations. He has served as a high-school band director and holds a bachelors degree (summa cum Laude) from Texas Tech University.

For more information on Tom, visit www.tombraxton.com

STRINGS

Buffi Jacobs
Candidate for D.M.A. "Cello Performance" (University of North Texas)
M.M. "Cello Performance" (Univ of North Texas)
B.M. "Cello Performance" (Univ of South Carolina)

Buffi Jacobs, cellist, is widely recognized for her performance ability in contemporary styles as well as an exceptional educator and clinician. She received her Bachelors degree in music performance from the University of South Carolina in 1997 and a Masters degree in music performance with jazz related field from The University of North Texas in 2001.

Served as principal cellist for The Augusta Symphony and was a former member of the chamber music ensemble "The Excelsior Trio" , winner of MTNA chamber music competition. She has also performed with symphonies of Savannah,Shreveport, Richardson, Irving, South Carolina, Long Bay, Hilton Head and the Henry Mancini Institute. Has also performed with artists such as Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Big Bad Vodoo Daddy, Pink Martini, Tony Bennett, Doc Severinsen, Mark O'Connor, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Turtle Island String Quartet, Randy Brecker, Christian McBride, Lili Haydn and Sasha Lazard.

Aside from her classical performance and instruction, Miss Jacobs also participates heavily in the jazz and rock idioms on stage and in the studio. She was one of the founding memebers of the Jazz String Caucus that performed at IAJE in New York City and was a founding member of The USC Jazz Strings and the UNT Jazz String Project. She is currently a member of "Polyphonic Spree" and has toured Europe, Asia, and North America.

Veronica Gan
Candidate for M.M. "Violin Performance" (University of North Texas)
B.M. Violin Performance (New England Conservatory)

As a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra player, Veronica Gan has performed throughout Canada, Israel, Asia, the US, and Europe. Ms. Gan has participated in music festivals including the Meadowmount School of Music, the Schlern Music Festival, the European American Music Alliance, and the Chautauqua Institute. She has studied under teachers such as Michele Auclair of New England Conservatory, Roland and Almita Vamos of Northwestern University, and Emanuel Borok, Concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Gan has also collaborated with Sally Thomas, Naoko Tanaka, Mauricio Fuks, and Ilya Kaler.

She currently performs and freelances in the DFW area. Ms. Gan regularly performs with the East Texas Symphony, the Las Colinas Symphony, and is a substitute with the Dallas Symphony. She has recently performed with groups such as Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Fifth Dimension, Clay Aiken, and Josh Groban. Ms. Gan received a B.M. from New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and is also currently pursuing a Master’s Degree from University of North Texas.

Rebecca Goot
Candidate for M.M. (University of North Texas)
B.M. Violin Performance (Southeast Missouri State University)

Rebecca Goot grew up in Springfield Oregon and began studying violin at age nine.
All through high school, she had been in the All State Orchestra and the Eugene Youth Symphony. Upon graduation from high school, she was accepted by the University of Oregon as a violin major student. After two and a half years at the University, she moved to California, and there found her most influential teachers, Michael and Irina Tseitlin, who had studied at the Moscow Conservatory before coming to the United States. She studied for several years with them, and also with Navroj Mehta, concert master of the New World Symphony, and also a cousin of New York Philharmonic Conductor Zubin Mehta. Navroj also has been a great influence as one of Rebecca’s teachers. Also in San Diego, Rebecca had formed the D’Accord String Quartet and played with them for a few years and then moved with her husband to Southern Illinois.

Upon her arrival in Illinois, she was immediately hired by the Paducah Symphony Orchestra in Kentucky. She also decided to finish the music degree which she had started at the University of Oregon. She attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale on some partial symphony and chamber music scholarships, but then received a full scholarship from Southeast Missouri State University and earned a degree of Bachelor of Music from that university. At the same time she continued to play all concerts with the Paducah Symphony Orchestra and was also asked by the conductor to join his other orchestra, the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, in Tennessee, which she did.

Upon graduation, Rebecca began to look for a University which offered a PhD program in addition to a Masters program, and which also offered instruction in Baroque violin. Baroque violin is almost a completely different instrument from modern violin. It is held differently and tuned differently, and while the violin looks the same, the bow looks very different. The University of North Texas offers all of the above and accepted Rebecca into the graduate program, and she has been studying Baroque violin with Cynthia Roberts, and modern violin with Julia Bushkova. She loves to play both her modern and Baroque violins and considers herself bilingual for that reason.

In teaching, Rebecca’s priority is to get her students to realize how much fun the violin is to play. She teaches all of her students the technique she learned from her Moscow teachers. She also lets them learn at their own paces. Some students just enjoy playing but are not serious, while others push themselves, wanting to play better, to know more, or to go in a professional direction. Also, many students want to improve school orchestra music, and she is always happy to help with that. Rebecca tailors her lessons to take all of this into account and guides each student, in a fun way, into playing better.

VOICE

Patty Wonder Lee
BFA: Musical Theatre (Texas Christian University) - Vocal performance & Performance Coaching

Patty Wonder Lee graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Texas Christian University. She has been a featured and background singer on many Internationally released recordings by Disney Record's, including vocals on Grammy Award Nominated "A Bug's Life Sing Along" (1999), as well as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Pooh's Colorful Present, Pooh's Number Hunt and Pooh's Alphabet Day (Parents Choice Award- Gold). One of her favorite projects was available for public consumption in 3 million boxes of Kellogg’s Hunny B's cereal as an included C.D. She has also recorded vocals for Joe Scruggs ( winner of 5 Parent's Choice Awards).

Patty has performed traveling with "The Really Big Show" and "Emerald City", and was primary lead vocalist for "Age of Consent" and "Midnight Snack". She has performed locally with Icehouse, Moving Colors, and the Mark Harell Band. She has also performed with many International acts including ventriloquist Ronn Lucas.

She has a passion for Christian Music and has been a featured vocalist on Dove Award nominated artist Phillip Sandifer's "On My Way" C.D. She has performed locally at the Majestic Theater for KCBI Radio, and as a solo artist in Nashville, as well as local concerts for Joni Erickson Tada's "Joni and Friends" ministry.

She released her own C.D. "Someone is Standing Outside" produced by Grammy Award winner Gary Powell, which featured one of his original compositions. It was mastered by nine time Grammy Award winning engineer Larry Seyer. She has her own production company, "Hipchick Productions," which has booked local talent since 1998, including acts for "Mercy Ship's", a non-profit organization which performs surgeries on board their state of the art traveling hospitals.

Her philosophy of teaching is to create a safe place for students to explore, grow, and blossom with a personally specialized program where they can make marked improvement ; to give them tools so that they can self-evaluate their own achievements and connect mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually through the art of singing. She is excited to bring her talents and passion for education to her students.

Kathryn Lane
B.M. Jazz Studies, Vocal Performance (UNT)

Kathryn Lane is a recent graduate from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in jazz studies (vocal performance) and a minor in music theory. She has already been accepted into the Master's program at UNT in the same field and has been given an ensemble of her own to direct, Jazz Singers III. Kathryn performs frequently around the DFW area with various groups in various styles including pop, jazz, Brazilian, Flamenco and others. She sings with the popular Steely Dan tribute band 'Naked Lunch,' as well as with 'Memphis Soul,' another cover band (singing top 40/motown hits). Kathryn also writes her own original music and hopes to come out with her own album in the next few years. While jazz is her main area of study, she loves to sing and teach other styles including pop, classical, folk, singer/songwriter, and musical theater. She has several years of teaching experience and loves working with any age student, child to adult. In her teaching methods, Ms. Lane focuses on developing a vocalist's personal style, improving technique, and overall on becoming a better musician.

Kathryn is also working towards a Spanish teaching certification and is on her way to becoming fluent in Spanish. She spent fall and winter of 2008 in Barcelona, Spain as part of a UNT exchange program. While in Spain, Kathryn studied music at the Liceu Conservatory, where she sang in several ensembles including a Brazilian ensemble, jazz combo, gospel choir, classical choir (performing Bach chorales), and a Flamenco ensemble.

www.kathrynlanemusic.com

Linda Renfro - Vocal Performance.

Linda began singing in high school with a female vocal trio that eventually performed on television, radio and the Republican National Convention. Her vocal and acting talents landed her numerous roles in community theatre as will as television commercials.

Linda co-founded the bands Cheshire, Vision, and Good News which recorded original material and performed at hotels, show rooms, weddings, debutant balls, concerts, conventions, and radio show promotions.

While taking music classes and studying privately with Rosana Eckert and Julie Bonk from UNT, Linda recorded her c.d. My Hearts Desire which consists of standards sung in a jazz style.

In addition to singing with the UNT Jazz singers, Linda has had the privilege of singing with several vocal groups, and orchestras: the Dallas Jazz Orchestra, the Phares Corder Orchestra, Curtis Wilson and the TCU Jazz Orchestra, Glen Dorsey Orchestra, Larry Randall and Joshua, as well as her own solo gigs.

She has had the honor of opening for Lou Rawls, The Fifth Dimension, Jack Jones, Kenneth Copeland, B.J. Thomas. It’s A Beautiful Day, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Carol Lawrence, George Gobel, Jackie Gayle, and Chuck Berry.

She continues to perform and record locally. Singing the National Anthem on Memorial Day and Veterans Day at the DFW National Cemetery is an annual event for Linda. Her patriotic performance has been part of the Dallas Veterans Day Parade and the Dallas Military Ball. These events are attended by Texas Governor Rick Perry, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, former Congressman Martin Frost and
Congressman Kenny Marchant.

Linda has maintained her own teaching studio for many years and began taking students through Lone Star in 2007. “It is rewarding to pass on to students my love of singing and the thrilling experience of performing. As we work together we are building a solid foundation technically. Honing our craft along with performance opportunities builds the confidence necessary for opening new and exciting doors.”

For more information, please vitit www.lindarenfro.com

Lone Star Music Academy
2321 Cross Timbers Rd. Suite #409
Flower Mound, TX 75028
(972) 691-3311
info@lonestarmusicacademy.com